I saw my Oncologist today as third Chemo tomorrow. First chemo I suffered very badly from severe sickness and nausea plus I had mild neuropathy in my fingertips and thumbs so Taxol was reduced by 20% last time (Chemo 2) and I was prescribed Ondansetron for 5 days as Domperidone did nothing. Whilst I had reduced bouts of sickness I was severely nauseous for longer so I have now been prescribed Emend, I understand a number of you found that helpful so I have fingers crossed. She wasn't going to reduce the Taxol any further but when she saw my rash (still on neck and head although not itchy now) she decided to reduce the Taxol to 50%, she said the main drug is Carbo but I hope the effect is not reduced too much so it's not effective; any ideas? Photo of me today! Still smiling.
Clare X
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Choski
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Hi Choski, well you look positive and good. Not that I know that sometimes we feel awful when looking good. I found Emend the best for nausea, it still happened but not as bad. I moved to Maxolon when on Gemzar and found it okay but after a days dosage was ready to sleep around the clock. I have been lucky otherwise, have had the neuropathy but found massaging the hands and feet good. I also used epsom salts in a basis to ease the foot pain and I believe it helped. Nice comfy shoes maybe sketchers for walking is another tip, best wishes
Hi Clare lovely photo of you, I was on EMEND and it worked for me, I wasn't sick but did feel a bit of nausea, but compared to how I was feeling it was much better. Sorry I can't help you with reduced taxol as never had it reduced. Take care and look after yourself.
A major study in the 1990s (ICON 3) showed that carboplatin mono therapy could be just as effective as combined chemo, although it's given in a slightly different way (starting at AUC 5 and increasing to 6 and 7 if you can tolerate it).
There is still disagreement amongst oncologists over the the use of taxol combined with carboplatin in first line treatment, although the majority seem to favour combined therapy.
I don't know at what dosage taxol ceases to be effective, but if it's causing you very major problems you could perhaps discuss the option of dropping it entirely with your oncologist, and possibly increasing your dose of carboplatin a little. I do know that taxol given for maintenance after first line treatment has been shown to be ineffective.
I had carboplatin as mono therapy, and I've been NED for 6 years. Hope this helps a little, Vx
I wouldn't worry too much. Taxol is a 5% top up of Carboplatin. There is a lot of research around that is favourable for single agent. I suffered badly with sickness which is why I dropped out after three doses. Emend didn't stop me being sick, but I was given other anti sickness tablets by my GP and the hospital then prescribed them. Along with steroids.
I responded on the Facebook page, but wanted to add that I don't have anywhere near the level of bad side effects on just Carboplatin, as I did with the Taxol.
I just take 3 cyclizine tablets on the first 2 - 3 days after treatment. I do get nauseous but not too bad. I could take them for longer, but I find any anti sickness meds make me constipated, and I can just about manage with just 2 days of cyclizine.
I no longer get the flu like symptoms that I got with Taxol, but when I did, I bathed in Epsom salts, which helped a lot - and made my skin lovely & soft.
I just had chemo #4 - I didn't get the usual steroid rush (you get 6 on the day & 4 for the next day when just on Carboplatin - none the night before - so sleeping is better too). They don't give me antihistamines either. I rested much more the first week than usual and I managed to go out 3 nights over the weekend - I couldn't have done that on Taxol. This is week 2 and I feel good.
My CA125 has gone down - 5,600 / 140 / 14 / 10 / 8
He, on first unbunbe treatment my chemo was reduced on 3 separate occasions, each time by 20%. I still had NED at end of treatment. Try not yo worry. Ann xo
Hello. I found Emend did the trick, so hope it works for you. I'm on single agent cisplatin as I developed an allergy to the carboplatin and that is reducing the lumps.
I was on combined Carbo/Taxol but only ever had 75 per cent of the Taxol dose due to having neuropathy in my feet. My oncologist assured me that Carbo was the most important drug and if necessary she would stop my Taxol altogether, so you don't need to worry about reducing the dose.
Hope Emend controls the the nausea and that 3rd chemo goes well.
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